184 Proceedings Columbia Biochemical Association [Sept. 



nodes of healthy green Tradescantia stems. No discoloration or 

 yellowing of the injected stem coiild be detected. 



39. Biochemical studies of beryllium sulfate.^^ Emily C. 

 Seaman. The experiments vvith beryllium sulfate have shown very 

 conclusively that the substance has a marked effect on biochemical 

 processes. When administered with the food it produced in dogs 

 decided nutritive disturbances, which manifested themselves in loss 

 of body weight, total inorganic matter, nitrogen, sulfur and phos- 

 phorus. When large doses were administered per os the substance 

 caused vomiting before a sufficient amount was absorbed to pro- 

 duce any other obvious toxic Symptoms. 



When the calculated lethal dose was administered by a single 

 siihcutaneous injection, the substance produced edema and necrosis 

 of the tissue extending over a large area. No other decided Symp- 

 toms were produced by this method. 



Very gradual intravenous injections of the salt produced decided 

 toxic effect. The action of the heart became irregulär — unusually 

 rapid and very weak: the respiration also became irregulär and 

 shallow. During the course of the injection, there was decided 

 tremor but this disappeared soon after the Operation. As a direct 

 effect of the injection the temperature increased, sometimes to 

 105° F., but about 24 hours before the death of the animal the tem- 

 perature began to decrease and steadily feil. After intravenous 

 injections there was increased elimination of urine followed by re- 

 tention. The feces became diarrheal and bloody. Vomiting began 

 about the time the dog refused food or water. 



Beryllium sulfate had a decided inhibitory effect on the action of 

 ptyalin, pepsin, and trypsin. It also retarded the action of sucrase 

 but not to so great an extent. Solutions of the salt (i per cent. or 

 less) did not precipitate proteins from neutral or acid Solutions. 

 Below the concentration of M/512 Solution, beryllium sulfate did 

 not inhibit the growth of lupin or timothy seedlings, but more con- 

 centrated Solutions prevented growth. When present in propor- 

 tions less than 0.5 per cent., beryllium sulfate had very little, if any, 

 bactericidal action. 



40. Chemical changes in fish during long periods of cold 

 storage. Clayton S. Smith. Fresh fish were delivered directly 



^Seaman: Dissertation, Columbia University, 1912. 



